Secrets & Confessions
by E. Hannelore Millington
Summary: Through a threat to Luigi, Mario is forced to confess his love for Peach. Despite how everything might turn out, the twins know they'll be okay. After all, Mario and Luigi have been through thick and thin. They never hide anything from each other... right? (Doesn't have any mention of MTMB/ARC)
1. Fights & Threats

I do think it's worth mentioning that Mario has grown taller and at this point is about 2 inches shorter than Princess Toadstool. Luigi has also grown taller and has stayed the same height above Mario.

It was unusually dark and stormy that night as Mario sprinted through Bowser's castle, once again in search of his pink princess. Mario was soaked from the rain outside, and although the red-clothed plumber hardly showed any emotion besides anger in fighting the King Koopa, he jumped at every bolt of lighting and shattering sound of thunder. That had never happened before. One had to wonder what had gotten into him.

As Mario ran quickly to the doors that he knew were hosting a giant monster and an unwilling princess, he burst them straight off of their hinges. Even the princess was surprised at this act of anger. Mario hardly ever became violent, and even when he did, he tried his best to duck and dodge rather than hitting back. Mario was gasping for breath from the running he had just performed.

"**BOWSER! Come on! It's just the same thing over and over again! I'm gonna kick your butt, return the princess safely home, then you'll once again try to get your "revenge" on me! This is pointless!**" Mario yelled, with not one hint of an accent, strangely being on point rather than just telling him to give the princess up. Needless to say, both Bowser and Princess Peach were oddly confused at his straightforwardness.

"_**THIS TIME IT'S DIFFERENT!**_" Bowser roared through the air. The plumber clutched his ears at the eardrum-breaking noise.

"**YOU SAY THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME!**" Mario screamed back.

"_**This time I have your PRECIOUS BROTHER along with the princess!**_" Bowser taunted. Mario's eyes went wide as his pupils shrank in fear. Bowser's minions pulled out Luigi, whom Mario did not expect to be unharmed, but to the shorter plumber's delight, he was. However, Mario's relief disappeared as soon as it had come as fear washed over him when the king of koopas spoke again. "_**As you know I would not dare to hurt my future queen, but as for your brother... I could care less.**_" At that statement, Mario began to panic mentally, but on the outside, he kept his cool, but also kept quiet. He looked up as his younger, yet taller twin brother dressed in green screamed with tears. "**PLEASE JUST LEAVE US ALONE! WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE ALL THIS EVIL CRAP ANYWAY! DON'T HURT EITHER OF THEM PLEASE!**" Mario was shocked, to say the least at his brother's sacrificial outburst.

Bowser quieted Luigi with one swipe of his claw... Mario gazed in horror as blood poured from three gigantic scratches in his twin brothers arm.

Mario sighed in hesitance. From that sigh, Bowser knew he was about to hear exactly what he wanted. In a quiet and submissive tone, staring at Bowser with a determined expression, he asked just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "What do you want me to do?"

Neither the princess nor the green plumber expected that response. Luigi was the first to speak up. "**NO! I'll be fine! DON'T-**" but he was silenced as Bowser scratched him even deeper in the back. Luigi fell to the floor, shaking, as he was covered in his own blood. Not to mention that he was whimpering.

Mario didn't hesitate to try and keep his brother from further harm "**STOP IT! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO! JUST PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM ANYMORE!**" The group of three were surprised to hear such a response so quickly. Mario hung his head down with his cap covering his face and hugged himself. Bowser smirked so evilly and devilishly that it could make someone run 5 miles straight in the opposite direction.

Bowser spoke softly, which was even scarier, as he slowly and slyly approached the plumber in red. The three Mushroom Kingdom residents all thought that King Koopa wanted Mario to die. "**What I want you to do is very simple.****..**" Mario began shaking as the spotlight was put on him. Bowser then whispered something very quietly into Mario's ear. With that, Mario snapped his head up so quickly towards Peach, then just as quickly looked towards Luigi, then back at Bowser, completely shocked. "**Y-y-you aren't _SERIOUS_!?**" Bowser only chuckled. Mario watched Bowser walk back towards Luigi, terrified. Mario's expression scared the princess and brother, they had _**NEVER**_ seen him wear that expression. Bowser had only taken two steps around Mario when he immediately and without warning jerked in a 180, using the momentum from his turn to hit Mario with his fist so hard that when Mario hit the stone wall, it cracked... and the four in the room heard something else crack beside the wall.

Mario groaned very painfully as he pulled himself to his feet, clutching his chest. He was leaning against the wall, wincing as he breathed in and out. Bowser picked up his hat, and without a word, he threw it into the lava pile. Bowser chuckled as his adversary was barely even strong enough to stand. Mario was shaking all over as he attempted to anticipate Bowser's next move. Bowser gripped Mario's shirt collar as he tossed the poor plumber in the air like a ragdoll. Mario could only flail his limbs helplessly as he continued falling towards his inevitable doom. Mario yelped as the side of Bowser's fist collided with the middle of his body, thrust him down, and crushed him on the floor. Mario struggled to rise to his feet and ended up only being able to shake on his hands and knees as he was only able to choke in and out raspy, shallow breaths. His once denim overalls were stained dark with dirt and pebbles. You couldn't even tell that his gloves used to be white. At that moment, Bowser's playful, evil grin turned into a frown of death. "_**CONFESS!**_"

Immediately Peach and Luigi were confused and worried at the same time. They glanced at each other.

While clutching his chest tightly with one hand, Mario managed to squeeze out a very strained response."Igh... I don't know if you've noticed...hnngh... but it's hard to talk with... b-broken ribs..."

"**DO YOU THINK I CARE!?**" Bowser shouted as he kicked Mario directly in the spot that he had been holding earlier. Mario slid on his side from the blow. He was holding himself as he whimpered every time he breathed out through clenched teeth.

Being perplexed enough for one day, Peach screamed her frustration out. "_**CONFESS WHAT!?**_" The princess shouted with tears in her eyes.

Bowser took this opportunity to expose Mario. "He has been hiding a _**VERY**_ important secret from you for years." Peach narrowed her eyes and glared at Bowser in disbelief. "N-no, I'm the princess! N-none of my s-subjects hides anything from me! **YOU'RE L-LYING!**" In response, Bowser grinned again. "I'm not, and you know it."

Peach hung her head and then stared at Mario. "I-is this true?"

Mario groaned and sadly gazed down at the floor in reply. Peach was paralyzed in shock. She never expected for Mario to hide something. There was a short moment of silence before Peach screamed out again.

"**IT DOESN'T MATTER!** _**STOP HURTING HIM!**_" Peach commanded in desperation.

"I think this particular secret is **_VERY_ **important."

With that, Bowser picked Mario up again flung him diagonally towards the floor at an alarming rate. He hit the ground so hard that his shirt and overalls ripped. He flipped around after bouncing up in the air and slid on his back off of a ledge. At just the right time, Mario grasped the ledge with one hand. One of the straps had broken and you could barely see the bottom of his shirt. Well, what was left of his shirt. Most of it had fallen off in scraps when he made contact with the ground. Mario managed to scramble onto the ledge. He was an absolute mess. His entire left sleeve except for a small scrap being held by his glove was torn off and only a small strip of his upper body was still covered by the shirt. His skin was covered in bruises, scratches, and dirt. He had small red bloody blotches on a few parts of his visible body. He had a bad scratch on his right cheekbone from the collision with the ground and his lip was bleeding. Even though he was a little chubby, he was mostly muscular, and very fit.

His breath was squeaky as all of the pain from being tossed around overwhelmed his body. He couldn't move. His body refused to stop trembling. Bowser stepped closer and closer. "**Alright then, I'll give you a reason to confess.**" He grabbed Luigi and started to lightly scratch his neck just deep enough for it to bleed. "_**NO STOP!**_" Peach, Luigi, and Bowser all then saw something they had never seen before. Mario was again on his hands and knees... but... he was... he was _**CRYING**_. Mario breathed unevenly as the tears streamed down his face, nothing to hide his face anymore.

"**Then CONFESS**," Bowser demanded.

Mario mumbled something unintelligibly. "**Nobody heard that**," Bowser stated threateningly. He pulled his fist back. Luigi braced for impact, but felt nothing as Mario tensed up and screamed at the top of his lungs, "**I LOVE YOU PEACH ALRIGHT!?**" It only took a moment for the message to register in both Peach's and Luigi's minds. They all sat for a while as Mario's voice echoed around. "I love you... so much." At this point Mario was laying down, knees pressed to his pained chest as he clutched his hair tightly. His voiced cracked as he responded to Bowser in defeat. "Please... just let them go. You've done it, you've humiliated me, you've hurt me to the point where I can't even STAND... so just stop... please." The last word came out as a whisper while he was shaking very firmly. Bowser stood straight as he waited for the comment to settle in, apparently satisfied.

Bowser had found out a while earlier about Mario's true feelings toward Peach. Everyone, including Luigi, thought that Mario was rescuing the princess only because it was the right thing to do, and when Peach denied both of them on the moon, it was figured that the conflict would stop. And it did, for the few months before this current incident.

Bowser menacingly stepped closer to Mario. In fear, he backed up a little too fast and fell over another ledge. This time he couldn't grab anything. He succumbed to his fate waiting for the heat to engulf him. He was caught by a giant fist grabbing his leg. He looked up to see _**BOWSER**_ pulling him to safety. He was not unscathed, the top-right part of his back and his right shoulder just barely got close enough to give him some serious burns, but he wasn't dead.

Mario stared in amazement as for a fraction of a second Bowser's face went soft just before being replaced by angry disappointment.

In a flat tone without looking at anyone, Bowser commanded his minions to get the three out of the castle. Luigi was carefully unchained, and Peach was unlocked from the cage and helped down. Luigi immediately ran over to Mario and helped him up. Luigi half-carried his brother with his left arm around Mario's chest and Mario's right arm around Luigi's shoulder. With his free hand, Mario was still holding his injured chest as he attempted to breathe. The plumbers and princess were escorted to the front doors of the fortress. With the doors groaning as they were shut, the three were left alone, **let _GO_**, by Bowser. The entire journey back to Toad Town, the only sound was their shuffling footsteps and Mario's light groans as he tried to keep breathing through the pain in his chest. To say that the toads were shocked to see their heroes injured so badly, especially Mario, needing help to _**WALK**_, would be a severe understatement. Usually, the entire town would be upon them asking questions left and right and the mushroom people would be surrounding the Mario Bros, however, this time, they were stepping to the sides of the paths to let them through without a word. Needless to say, the three were very thankful to just be let through without any questions. After a bit of arguing, Peach and Luigi persuaded Mario to stay at the palace for a while and get a doctor to treat his injuries.


	2. Results

It was obvious that it hurt Mario to confess his love, but he didn't have a choice with Bowser's threats. He knew that Bowser would've gone through with it.

Peach, Luigi, and Toadsworth got him to sit still for the doctor after some struggle. Mario's upper body was completely exposed. All of the torn clothing and his gloves had been taken off. His lower half was still covered by the overalls. Luigi felt embarrassed for his twin, as neither of them had ever worn clothing that showed much of their skin. Even when they went swimming they'd wear shirts.

Luigi was bandaged up and was sitting in a chair. He had been taken care of in a different room. Mario was the only one who didn't seem to be worried about himself.

Peach couldn't help but stare at Mario's bare chest. She could see the slight outline of abs. After a while, she looked back at his face to see that he was staring back at her with a deep blush. They kept eye contact for a while and Peach could feel her cheeks flush as red as Mario's shirt had been. She pulled herself away from the gaze and Mario did the same. Luigi wondered what the princess was thinking about the entire situation. Meanwhile, Peach was staring at the wall wondering if Mario's confession was true, or if he had just said it to protect Luigi.

_It sounded so sincere._ Peach thought. No, if Mario didn't have those feelings for her, he'd probably make a joke or laugh it off. But Mario didn't even have a smile. She knew that Mario was completely honest and she just had to wonder how Bowser found out. _"He has been hiding a **VERY** important secret from you for years..." _Mario had feelings for her for that long? How did he keep them under control? It was obvious that even Luigi didn't know. Peach turned back to look into Mario's light blue eyes. They reminded her of the bright sky.

The doctor interrupted her thoughts as he came in with the injury documents. "Alright, I have the documents here and I've done a thorough examination."

"How is it?" Toadsworth asked urgently.

"To say that he has light injuries would be a lie... but he will be completely fine."

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

"Really? Come on! You _**ALL** _doubted my ability to be okay?" Mario asked, rather offended.

"We are all relieved that he will be alright, but what about the seriousness of the injuries?" Toadsworth questioned the doctor.

"Well, the burns along the upper left side of his back and shoulder are second-degree burns. With time, they will heal completely. However, there will be permanent scarring. His ribs are indeed fractured, but as long as he doesn't move much, they will heal with no trouble. The other injuries are just a few scrapes and bruises. A very tough fellow I must say." Mario chuckled at the doctor's remark.

With some difficulty, (caused by broken ribs *cough cough*) Mario replied to the statement. "Well, you're going to have to be tough if you have a job battling an insufferably annoying giant turtle brat."

Even Toadsworth chuckled a little at that.

"Even when you're injured you still can't stop making funny remarks!" Luigi complained with a smile.

"We all seem to have the same opinion of that monster." The doctor suggested.

"What about Luigi? I mean those were some deep cuts." The elder twin asked.

"Well... they are deep, as you said, but they are also just that... cuts. They'll heal rather quickly contrary to the depth. There will be scars, but they should fade quickly. I must ask... How many ringers have you two been through before to withstand such injuries?!"

"You'd be surprised," Mario answered.

The doctor took the papers and was called to take care of a different patient.

Toadsworth took off after the doctor. Luigi followed both of them. All the while, Peach had continued staring at Mario's eyes. He met her gaze again. They both froze. Peach's worried expression melted into a small smile with a slight pink blush. Mario stared down at the floor and seemed to sadden. "I'm sorry." He apologized softly.

"For what?"

"I'm just a plumber! I shouldn't be falling in love with a _**PRINCESS**_."

"You can't help it. If anything, I should fall for you! I-" Mario instantly perked up a little bit.

"I mean, any other person would only try to get me for the money and power. They wouldn't even bother rescuing me! They'd just take over the kingdom while I was kidnapped. You've rescued me so many times and you're satisfied with a _**CAKE!**_"

"You make really good cakes..." He muttered.

Seeing as how they were alone, Peach sat down next to Mario and put her hand on his left shoulder. She leaned in and kissed his left cheek softer, slower, and more carefully than she ever had before. Then she daintily hugged him, making sure to keep herself from hurting him. She pressed her forehead against his cheek and whispered. "Thank you for everything you've ever done. I wouldn't be the princess I am today without you." She sank a little bit and leaned her head into his neck as she tightened her hug a little bit. A small grin appeared on Mario's features as his left arm wrapped around her.

After a few weeks, Mario was completely fine, much to the delight of the entire kingdom, but no one was more relieved than Luigi and Peach. However, during those few weeks when Peach and Mario ran into each they would look away awkwardly and quietly utter hellos. Then Mario would usually make an excuse to leave even though Peach was trying to talk to him.

One day, Mario was getting the mail when he saw a letter that looked out of the ordinary. It was in a red envelope that had delicate white lettering in the corner addressing his name. He recognized the handwriting immediately. He tossed the few other letters that there were on the table as he opened the special envelope. It was an invitation from Peach, just not one he had ever seen before. It read:

_Dear Mario,_

_I was hoping you'd be free to come over to the palace today so we could have a small conversation. It would be preferable for you to come alone, as what I want to talk to you about is a touch personal. I am very glad to hear that you are doing better, and Luigi as well. The reason I haven't asked earlier is that today, Toadsworth__ is busy with more duties than usual__ and won't be present. I hope to see you soon._

_Sincerely, Peach_

_"what I want to talk to you about is a touch... personal?"_ This confused Mario, but he decided that he'd better go if the princess had something to tell him.

When he was about to knock on the door, it was opened before he even touched it. Standing there was none other than the princess herself. To say the least, this shocked Mario a little bit. The door was usually opened by one of the servant toads. Peach ushered Mario inside and led him to a portion of the castle that he had never seen before. "Sooooooo... you said what you wanted to talk to me about was a little personal?"

"Um... y-yes, it is." They stopped after a few seconds of walking in silence. Peach turned around with a sheepish, embarrassed smile on her face and her cheeks were rosy red. Peach was also holding a new hat for him. Mario had just barely opened his mouth to ask about her expression when he was surprised by a firm contact on his lips. He was very shocked to see that Peach was kissing him! The love of his life that he thought would laugh and spit at his face at his confession was kissing him! She had her right hand on his cheek as she hugged him with her left arm, hat still in hand. Mario slowly calmed down and returned the kiss. Peach pulled away softly as she touched her fingers to her mouth, savoring the feeling. Mario could only stare at her in surprise. Peach bit her lip and added, "I-I couldn't find a way to explain my feelings, so... I-I finally worked up the courage to show you."

That's when Mario realized. "**B-b-but how could you love someone like _ME_!?**"

Peach became bewildered at his remark. "What do you mean?" Mario stared at her.

"Y-you're so amazing, bright, beautiful and smart. You're such a good leader. You manage to keep positive in the worst situations! I'm just a stupid fat plumber that can barely even look at a goomba without my knees shaking!" That was the first time that Peach ever slapped Mario. He was stunned by the sudden painful sensation on his left cheek.

"**I'm flattered at how you think of me,** _**but don't EVER talk about yourself like that AGAIN! **_You have rescued me so many times, this is the first rescue where you've gotten hurt at all! You are **very** intelligent, most of the time you've outsmarted Bowser. You always do the right thing. You are ridiculously strong, both physically and mentally. If anything, how could you love me besides the fact that I'm a princess? I always have to sit and wait in the cage idiotically and all I can do is call your name! I'm helpless. C'mon! We talked about this in the hospital wing! You truly care about _**ME!**_ Not the power or the fame or the money!"

Mario was surprised at what Peach thought of herself, but at the same time, he was relieved at her compliments.

"I-I... th-thanks," was all he managed to get out.

Peach smiled at his embarrassment.

Despite all the reassurance, Mario couldn't help but be worried. "W-what if it doesn't work out?" He asked. Peach was startled at the question, but it led her to understand the reason for his secrecy.

"You were afraid of getting rejected, weren't you?" She asked, quite seriously.

"I can fight a fire-breathing monster but I have yet to put my big-boy pants on." Mario chuckled sadly.

Peach giggled at his humor. "I think love can be scarier, but as long as I'm with you, I know I'll be okay." The princess handed the new hat to him. He took it with a new joy and confidence in him. With Peach's faith in him, Mario's doubt and fear melted away. He believed, and knew deep down, that he would be with her forever.

However, there was still a question that would trouble Mario until it was answered.


	3. Decisions

It was the next day that Mario visited the palace again, this time bringing Luigi.

Peach ran to greet them. "Oh h-"

"We need to talk." Mario cut her off. Peach and Luigi were both startled.

"I-I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" The princess asked anxiously.

"No, no you didn't... It's just... About Bowser..." Immediately they both understood. Peach led them both to a fairly quiet room away from most people.

"What is it, Mario?"

"I-... isn't it just kind of weird how Bowser just... let us go? I mean he wants you to marry him and he wants me _**DEAD**_, and he doesn't **_CARE _**what the heck happens to **you** as long as you're out of his way. So why would he just give it all up? He had all three of us exactly where he wanted us, but he saved me from a lava pit!"

"That's right... I wonder what came over him. Also, he hasn't kidnapped me in weeks! With all your injuries, in Bowser's term, you'd be weak. Normally, he would've jumped at that chance to grab me." The pink princess agreed.

"Do we have to worry about it? I mean, it's over, we're in a lot less trouble than we could've been, and maybe Bowser's become a little bit nicer." Luigi pointed out, not wanting to have anything else to do with King Koopa. "If I _**never**_ see Bowser again it'll be too soon."

"You have a point, Luigi." Princess Toadstool answered. The three stood a long while in silence. It felt like hours. "Mario? Don't you have anything to say?"

Mario only stood there, eyes closed. He was thinking, focusing. After a silent while more, Mario opened his eyes. "I need answers," was his only statement.

"_**WHAT!?**_" Both Peach and Luigi replied at the same time. And remember, the princess rarely ever shouts.

"Yes, I'm going to sneak back into the castle and ask Bowser some questions."

"_**You're going to ask BOWSER...?!**_" Luigi started.

"_**QUESTIONS?!**_" Peach finished.

"What about all of the guards and minions!?" Luigi asked frantically.

"Okay, you can be a distraction," Mario answered.

"_**ME!?**_" Luigi screamed. "_**You're just going to throw me into a fire like that?!**_" He asked very angrily.

"**_YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE EASIEST! YOU WON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO INTO THE FORTRESS!_**" Mario shouted back.

Luigi and Peach both stared at him in amazement and slight fear. He had never screamed, especially not like that.

"**Listen**, I'm going into the lion's den, you won't even be in any _**REAL**_ danger. I mean, **look at what happened to _ME_ last time!**"

With that remark fresh in the air, Peach replied strongly with a tear streaming down her cheek. "_**That's exactly why you shouldn't go!**_ Please! If anything happened to either or both of you I'd-"

"Peachy, it's going to be okay... I _**PROMISE**_ I won't let either of us get hurt." Mario interrupted her. He had placed his hands on her shoulders and had a soft but firm grip.

"You _**PROMISE**_ with all of your heart?" Peach asked as she sniffed and attempted to wipe the tears away.

"Pinky promise," Mario replied with his right pinky in the air.

"I'll hold you to that you know," Peach responded.

"I know," he answered.

"_**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT A MINUTE!**_" Luigi screamed. "WaitWaitWaitWaitWait**WaitWaitWaitWait**_**WaitWaitWAIT!**_"

"What?" Mario asked.

Luigi stared at him and stifled a laugh. "P-Peachy?"

Mario immediately tensed up, blushed, and started visibly sweating. "U-um, yeah? So what!? It's a nickname!"

Luigi smirked mischievously. "There's clearly something going on here that I don't know about."

"_**NO THERE'S NOT!**_" Both Mario and Peach responded synchronically to all three's surprise. Mario and Peach's gazes snapped immediately to each other. They broke out into embarrassed laughter and looked away as Mario rubbed his neck and Peach covered her mouth with her hand.

Changing the subject, the pink princess responded. "Alright... _**FINE**_." Peach sighed. "Go... but be _**careful**_."

"I will princess... _**PROMISE**_."

Mario and Luigi ran out of the palace. Peach grabbed Mario's arm and kissed him affectionately before he left.

The plumbers started on their journey towards Bowser's castle because of a motive never thought of before.

"Mario and _**PEACHY**_ sittin' in a tree... _**K-I-**_"

"Oh **SHUT UP!**"


	4. Journey & Entrance

Mario and Luigi traversed world after world with Luigi teasing his brother the whole way. It escalated to where Luigi even made kissing sounds. Mario elbowed Luigi hard in the chest.

"Isn't it strangely easy to get through these worlds?" The plumber dressed in green questioned.

"No, not really. This time the princess hasn't been kidnapped and Bowser doesn't know we're coming, so all of his minions that are normally here are just somewhere in his castle. And it's also night. We've never ventured out at night before. But it is a little strange to see these worlds so quiet." The older twin answered.

"Hey, we've been running for, _**quite** _a while. Can we please take a... break and rest?" Luigi requested while heaving in breaths he thought he wouldn't be able to.

"We're almost there! **We have no time for breaks!**"

"Mario! We, - _**NEED**_... to take... a, **break!**" Luigi rasped in between breaths. Mario couldn't believe he hadn't noticed how tired his brother was getting. He stopped and let Luigi catch up to him.

"Even if we _**ARE** _close... we need energy in case we have to escape, or... fight." The younger twin reasoned.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't see how exhausted you were getting. I can't believe myself! I didn't even think about my own-"

"Hey! It's fine... If anything... I'm surprised you haven't even broken a sweat! But you still look tired. We both need to sleep. You should get a lot of rest with everything that's happened."

"I'm fine... It's nothing... **really**." This remark made Luigi raise an eyebrow.

"You sure?"

"Completely!" Mario answered with a thumbs-up. A little _**too**_ enthusiastically.

"Alright... but I'm not going to sleep until you do."

"Ugh... **Luigi**-"

"No Mario... come on! You've done so much for me and the princess! You owe it to **yourself _AND_** **us** to take a break and rest!"

"..."

"Mario... _**PLEASE**_."

"Okay... a _**short** _nap."

Mario and Luigi settled down in a small cave that was a few hundred yards away from Bowser's castle. The second he touched his head to the cave floor, Mario passed out. He didn't realize how tired he was.

When he woke up, Luigi was staring at him. He sat up, put his red cap on, and rubbed his eyes. He was still a little tired.

"What is it? Why are you staring at me?"

"A few SECONDS after you laid down I came over and called your name, but you were blacked out!"

"I was?"

"Yep... I guess you were a lot more tired than you thought..."

There was a while of silence. The only sound was Bowser's minions talking. (The hammer bros that were guarding the entrance)

"Mario? ... I-I was thinking... Maybe I should go ask Bowser. I mean, you two haven't exactly been best friends. You could be th-"

"NO... I need to ask him myself... plus, I would rather put you as far from danger as possible. And it's _**BECAUSE** _of how he beat me up like that and how he usually hates me that I **need** to do this _**MYSELF**_."

"Okay, **but if you get hurt,** _**I'M**_ gonna kill you! **And there won't be anything that the princess or _BOWSER_ can do to stop me!**"

"Alright, alright! I won't get hurt." Mario chuckled in response as he rolled his eyes.

Both of them stood up and started for the cave entrance.

Mario beelined straight to the left and hid behind a tree. Luigi ran straight towards the castle's entrance. As Luigi was running, both he and Mario exchanged glances and nods showing they were ready. The guards noticed Luigi and immediately took a defensive stance.

"Oh... hi! I'm sorry. I'm lost. I have no idea where I am. Can you direct me toward Yoshi Island?"

The guards immediately started throwing hammers at him. Luigi grabbed his hat with both hands and ran. As he was dodging and running he yelled back, "_**OKAY! OKAY! YOU COULD'VE JUST SAID NO!**_"

While the hammer bros were distracted, Mario snuck up to a wall with nobody along the ground and began to scale it. Brick by brick, foot by foot, Mario climbed up the wall. He threw himself over the top and skillfully landed on the ground without a noise.

He snuck through the halls of the castle, careful to avoid any conflict. He made absolutely sure that no one could see him. He then saw it, the door to Bowser's throne room. He crept stealthily towards it and stood up, out of sight. He stared at the gigantic metal doors, preparing himself for anything that could lie beyond. He took a deep breath and then pushed open the doors. Bowser was talking to his Magikoopa, Kamek. He instantly halted at his doors being opened. King Koopa was stunned, to say the least, to see the red plumber he had broken a few weeks ago standing in front of him.

"**What are _YOU_ doing here?!**"


	5. Return

**_SOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE HIATUS... NOW THAT THE SCHOOL SEASON HAS STARTED AGAIN I'LL BE LESS ACTIVE... SORRY FOR THAT_**

**_ALSO, I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT MAKING AN INTERACTIVE STORY... MESSAGE AND TELL ME IF YOU THINK I SHOULD OR NOT_**

* * *

_"WHAT ARE __**YOU**__ DOING HERE?!" Bowser roared._

The sudden outburst made Mario jump back a few feet. Recovering from being startled, Mario took a defensive position.

"Are you DEAF? I SAID '**WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?**'"

Mario was deeply confused, as Bowser was standing very still and didn't have any sign of having even a desire to attack. He was merely asking a question.

Mario slowly let go of his stance and stood straight. "Why did you let us go?"

Bowser only stared at Mario in perplexion.

After a minute of silence, Mr. King Koopa asked "What?"

"Why did you let us go?" Mario repeated. "You had no reason. All three of us were exactly where you wanted us. You could've killed me, or let me fall into the lava... but instead, **YOU**... _**SAVED**_ me and then you let all of us, _**INCLUDING**_ the princess, free. Kamek even escorted us to the entrance of the castle." The plumber reasoned.

"**HAH! **Dumb plumber... as usual," Bowser insulted. "I was just giving Peach a chance to spit it your face!"

It was obvious to Mario that Bowser was covering up something. But if it was for kind or nefarious purposes... he couldn't tell.

Mario gave Bowser a sideways look as he responded. "Well... if you did, that kind of had a pretty bad backfire."

Bowser stared and was quiet for a moment. The giant Koopa king didn't even flinch. "I figured it could go three different ways," the deep, booming voice replied.

For a while, both plumber and monster were dead silent. It was awkward for neither to be hitting the other. Bowser decided to fix that though.

"**How did you get in here?!**" The dragon-like voice flamed.

"It's not hard to intrude a doofus's territory," the small plumber retorted.

"Kamek... would you... _**ACCOMPANY**_ my adversary outside?"

_Oh boy..._ Mario thought.

With one wave of Kamek's wand, Mario was stuck falling from 20 feet in the air a few hundred yards away from the fortress walls.

"_**OOF!**_" came two identical voices.

It turns out... Mario had landed right on top of Luigi.

"Hey! Easy with the landings!" The younger twin complained.

"Why don't you watch where other people are falling?" The older objected.

"...How'd you get way out here anyway?"

"Kamek."

"You were caught?"

"On the contrary, I caught them... in the throne room. Bowser lied when he answered me... but I did figure out a little bit."

"Okay... we'd better get back to the princess. Or should I say... _**PEACHY**_-_**UMPH!**_" Mario tackled Luigi to the ground.

"**If I hear you say that** _**ONE MORE TIME I SWEAR-!**_"

"**OKAY! _OKAY!_ FINE!** ... But teasing you is fun."

"And teasing _**you**_ is fun, but don't do it more than you have to. You've already overdone your welcome on that one."

"UUUUUUUUUGH..." Mario and Luigi finally returned to the Mushroom Kingdom a little after dusk.

Peach had received news of their return and had immediately set out to greet them. The princess hugged both of them.

"Are you two alright? You had me worried sick! You've been out there for an entire day!"

Luigi responded: "We're alright... Princess _**Peach**_-" Mario elbowed Luigi. This slightly surprised the princess and she stared at Mario, demanding an answer.

"**I-h-b-! He wouldn't stop teasing me!**" Mario pouted with his arms crossed. Peach giggled at this response.

"_**Weeeeelllll**_... I'll just go now. I've got places to be. Besides, I don't want to watch you two exchange spit. Bye!" Luigi rushed off and left them alone.

"**Y-YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!**" Mario shouted after him.

"Oh... let him be..." Peach answered as she lifted his cap up and placed a soft kiss on the red plumber's forehead. Mario couldn't stop his face from turning red as he rubbed the back of his neck. Peach giggled once again. "I hope you never stop doing that," she declared.

"I'll tell you about our little Bowser visit tomorrow..." Mario informed. Peach gave him back his cap and he headed home... which was Luigi's direction, even though Mario would much rather have gone _**ANYWHERE**_ else.


	6. Discoveries

**HELLO! I told you guys I was practicing on my grammar! I feel as though this chapter is much better than the other ones, and I want to go back and edit them, but at this point, I'm sure I'd rather be able to view my progress than erase the mistakes I made. Reading a book/novel before-hand also really helps! Thank you and have a great day!**

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When Mario arrived at the place he and his brother called home, he was perplexed to find that the lights were off and Luigi wasn't waiting at the window as usual. The first thing that entered his mind was fear. He sprinted to the entrance and slowly opened the door. He quickly searched around the house. Mario was shocked to find Luigi leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He was just staring at the floor in a blank haze. His face showed nothing but anger and disappointment completely controversial to his attitude only a few minutes earlier.

"You've got lipstick on your forehead," Luigi commented without turning his head. Mario rolled his eyes and wiped it off.

"What's this all about? I've never seen you like this." Mario queried.

"Maybe you haven't seen me like this because I never knew you kept secrets." This remark completely startled Mario. Not only because Luigi lowered his gaze, but also because it was in such a harsh tone.

"What are you talking about?!" The older twin responded, following his mental recovery of the previous sentence. Luigi snapped his head straight towards Mario. His nose was wrinkled. His eyebrows held a downward shape that could only communicate complete rage. His eyes appeared as if they were about to burst into flames. His mouth was tight and held an extreme downward curve. You could tell he was clenching his teeth.

"W-w-what d-did I do wrong?!" Mario questioned in desperation. If Luigi had been paying attention, he would have noticed his brother was only a crack away from breaking into tears.

"You never told me you loved Princess Peach!" Luigi responded. "Maybe I could've helped you! You also never told me everything about Bowser! We never keep secrets from each other! How could you do this!?"

No matter how hard Mario fought, he couldn't hold back the force of emotion. He tried as hard as was possible, but tears still slipped through his eyes and he couldn't quiet the shaking in his throat as he spoke.

"**Don't y-you remember how the last relationship I had ended up?! I'm s-scared! I-I _AM_! _OKAY_?! Th-then after the moon, there wasn't even a-a point! Besides, sh-she's a _PRINCESS_! I don't even know if she's _ALLOWED_ to h-have a relationship with me! I CAN'T P-PROTECT EVERYBODY! S-SO CUT ME SOME SLACK FOR ONCE!**"

Luigi jumped back at Mario's shouting. Then he saw the tears streaming down Mario's face. He had gotten a glimpse of an extremely complex side of Mario that his brother never dared to show before. Mario slowly put a hand on his mouth. He tightened his grip with both hands and fell on his knees. He attempted to wipe the salty liquid from his face to no avail. There were too many tears for Mario to wipe away. Luigi was silent and let Mario cry and gasp. Mario began to calm down. He no longer had tears falling down his face, but he was still hiccuping and shaking.

"I-I'm sorry. *hic* I'm the older brother, I-I'm supposed to protect you. I'm supposed to make you feel better... *hic* I'm supposed to take care of you... not bring you down with my problems. I'm always supposed to be brave. I c-can't be scared. *hic* I have to be the hero. *hic* Make people f-feel secure. Haha... I forgot... I'm not allowed to have problems. I need to be perfect. I need to be courageous. I need to be strong. I need to be... I need to... I need..."

Mario wiped his face with his hand and stood up. He breathed in and out and put on a small smile. He immediately looked like his normal self. Luigi was surprised at how fast he could recover from an emotional fit.

"Ha, I'm sorry. I should handle situations better. You probably got tired of me rambling. I need to stop being so selfish. I... apologize. I apologize for yelling at you. I shouldn't have yelled. I should've been calmer about the situation. After all, you've never kept anything from me. I should've been more understanding. I'm sorry for creating a scene. I should keep me and my dumb emotions under better control! Haha..."

Luigi just stared at his brother. Mario was blushing in embarrassment, apologizing for all things. He apologized for being scared and for crying. He immediately put on a smile after crying and confession all of the things he felt he had to be. Mario felt like he didn't have a choice? The younger brother snapped himself out of the daze.

"I had no idea you had so much on your mind-"

"No, it's nothing. I started rambling on about nothing-"

"How could you say you were selfish!"

"I _**was**_ being selfish?"

"For confessing about all of your responsibilities?!"

"You shouldn't have to worry! I'll take care of it! I just need-"

"**You _NEED_ help!**"

"No-I-I'm fine-"

"**YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE SOMEONE ABOUT TO GET SENT TO AN INSANE ASYLUM!** I WON'T LET YOU REFUSE HELP! I-Wait..." Luigi noticed that it was dark under Mario's eyes. He was perplexed as to how he hadn't noticed earlier. "Have you been sleeping? You've got-"

"_**N-NO!**_I-I mean i-it's okay, it _**IS****!**_ Please, I-I just..."

"**Mario**..."

The older twin looked at his brother and frowned. Mario hugged himself loosely and kicked his foot.

"Please get some sleep..."

Mario grudgingly obeyed his brother and got in bed. He was grateful that Luigi didn't push the issue further. Mario had gained some bags under his eyes. Luigi wondered just how he had been so blind to the terrible shape Mario was in. Peach probably didn't notice in the dark. When Mario laid down and fell into a slumber, Luigi walked into the kitchen and called the princess.

"H-hello?"

She was audibly drowsy.

"P-Princess? I'm sorry for calling you at this late of an hour. Did I wake you up?"

"Yes. *yawn* However, I will pardon it. I assume you'd only call because of something important. I admit I was surprised to see _**you**_ calling me instead of Mario."

Luigi was hesitant to tell the princess what happened... however, seeing all of the trouble Mario was going through to keep his struggles hidden... Mario was going to need the help.

"Well... it's _**about**_ Mario."

That single comment was enough to shake the princess out of her sleepy mood immediately.

"What happened? Is he alright?!"

"Whoa! I-um... he hasn't been kidnapped or anything."

"Thank goodness."

"But-"

"What has happened?"

"I'm getting to that." Luigi interrupted, a bit frustrated. "I'm afraid of what he's doing to himself."

"What? What is he doing?"

"He probably hasn't been sleeping very well ever since the-uhhhh... _**INCIDENT**_. He has dark bags over his eyes." Luigi switched the phone over to the other hand.

"That's terrible! He's been so active."

"Not only that. He seems to have been... _suppressing_ his emotions. He broke down on the floor right in front of me. He said a few things that are kind of unsettling. Then he **_apologized_**."

"He did? That's terrible. What did he say?"

"H-he chuckled and then said he forgot he wasn't allowed to have problems."

"..."

"He wasn't saying that to anybody. Neither me or himself. He was acting kind of crazy, and I'm not comfortable with it."

"..."

Luigi sighed. "... I just want you to take care of him..."

"Don't worry, I promise I will look into the problem..."

"OH! Wait... _**Please**_, don't tell anyone else. We don't want to upset him further."

"I give you my word. My lips are sealed."

"Is there anything else?"

"I would like to talk tomorrow..."

Luigi exhaled anxiously. Suddenly, he heard a loud clang erupt from behind him. "GAH!" He whipped around to see a pot laying upright on the ground. "Huh?" Luigi's eyes widened as he realized it was just a diversion.

"Boo." Luigi screamed in surprise as he spun around at the voice. He stared, slack-jaw at who it was. Mario was glaring furiously at him. Luigi shook his head. The younger brother opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by an outburst. "Thanks a lot!" Mario responded sarcastically in a harsh tone. Luigi stared at his brother in disbelief.

"We're trying to-!" Luigi began.

"I don't _**NEED**_ help! We went over this! In fact, you're doing the _**OPPOSITE!**_" Mario interrupted, shouting at his brother. Luigi pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath in frustration. "You need to sleep! You're going to kill yourself if you keep going like this!" Mario clenched his eyes shut and shifted his gaze away, tearing up. He mumbled something under his breath. "What was that?" The younger twin inquired in a demanding tone. Mario inhaled shakily as he looked up at his brother in sadness and pain, quickly turning away again.

"I-I'm tired of the nightmares..." He answered in a barely audible volume. Luigi's expression softened as he slightly lowered his head.

"Why-...? Why didn't you tell me you were having trouble-?"

"It's not important." Luigi wrinkled his nose as he felt a boiling rage at Mario's reply. He clenched his fists, tensed up, and began shaking.

"_**NOT IMPORTANT MY ASS!**_" He screamed. Mario widened his eyes and slightly stepped backward. Luigi walked over to a wall and began repeatedly banging his head against it. He sighed as he turned back toward Mario, or... the place Mario was standing... He quietly cursed to himself before he walked off to find his brother.


	7. Comfort

**_(HI, I probably forgot to mention this, [Who am I kidding? I have a terrible memory!] Anyway, in my opinion and stories, Mario is packing a whole lot more responsibilities onto himself than he lets on. He always acts like an upbeat guy so no one worries, but really, he has a lot on his mind and sometimes it's so much that he cracks a little bit, for a little bit. Luigi is always there and is always upset by Mario not letting anyone help him but they take good care of each other because they made promises as kids to do so and yeah... that's what's going on. Thank you for reading! Have a great day!)_**

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**_(Also tell me if you want me to quit making these notes and only do the story or keep it the way it is.)_**

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_Luigi walked over to a wall and began repeatedly banging his head against it. He sighed as he turned back toward Mario, or... the place Mario was standing... He quietly cursed to himself before he walked off to find his brother._

* * *

"Mario...? MARIO!" Luigi began shouting his brother's name as he walked through the small house. He sighed in frustration as he couldn't find Mario. There were hardly any places to hide. As he entered the bedroom, ragged breathing and quiet sobs barely hit his eardrums. He opened the closet, surprised to find Mario "resting" in such a place. Luigi's gaze softened into a sad and regretful expression as he stared at his brother sitting still, leaning against the wall of the closet, unmoving, save his chest. "Mario...?" The younger twin murmured softly. Mario snapped his head up toward Luigi and immediately started clearing the tears from his face. He grabbed Mario's wrists and pulled them away from his face. "L-listen... I'm sorry I yelled... You know how I hate that kind of talk..." Luigi apologized. He gently embraced his brother and cradled him as he wept. Mario hugging him back tightly, burying his head in the younger twin's shoulder.

"N-now she's gonna hate me...! O-or think I'm pathetic-!"

"No she won't, Mario. You're being ridiculous."

"But-!"

"We only want the best for you. And while Peach might actually think that you could find better, it made her really happy..."

"That doesn't matter... Now o-our relationship's going t-to be strained..."

"Maybe a little bit. She'd try to help no matter what, bro, okay? Same with me. You need to _**LET**_ us help."

"I-I can't-"

"Mario... You've gotta be kidding! We're only trying to help. You can't-"

"I kn-know you're just trying to help! Th-that's the _**problem!**_" Luigi jumped slightly and widened his eyes at his brother's exclamatory statement.

"**How could us trying to help be the _PROBLEM_?!**"

"**B-BECAUSE I DON'T _NEED_ HELP! I just d-don't want you guys to w-worry!**"

"**If you don't want us to worry, THEN GET _HELP_!**"

"**What's the p-point if it's not going to do anything?!**"

"**HELP _HELPS_! THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED _HELP_!**"

"**SOMETIMES H-HELPING DOESN'T HELP!**"

"**YOU'RE BEING _RIDICULOUS_!**"

Luigi grunted and wrinkled his nose in frustration as he tried to think of a reason his brother couldn't fight. He sighed angrily and reasoned calmly.

"If it's _**that**_ bad, then how about this? By refusing help, you're only going to make us worry more..."

Mario's brow furrowed in an attempt to win the argument, but realized it would be better if he let it go.

"O-okay... but don't b-break out into one of your 'We promised to take c-care of each other' rants. I've heard that so m-much I could quote it by h-heart, and then some."

"Mario..."

"_**N-NO!**_** I _don't_ _want_ t-to hear it."**

"But-"

"_**LUIGI**_**.**"

"Mario-"

"**I'm _older_**."

"Wha-! **By 17 _minutes!_**"

"It's enough to put me in charge."

"I-wha-ugh! Just talk to Peach tomorrow and everything will be fine! You'll see..." Luigi helped his brother up moved him to his bed.

"I can walk on my own-"

"Yeah. I bet that's why you were stuttering and limping out of the closet." Luigi remarked sarcastically.

"You're ridiculous!"

"_**ME?!**_ I-... whatever. Let's just get some sleep. For _**ONCE**_."

Luigi rolled his eyes while emphasizing the last word in his sentence, elbowing his twin.

"We'll probably feel better in the morning."

"..."

Luigi lay down and flipped over to face Mario to see him sitting still, staring at the ground. He was rubbing his arm with his hand.

"What's wrong?"

Mario flinched in surprise and snapped his head up at Luigi.

"What?"

"I-I-... Are you okay?"

"I-y-yeah, sure."

Luigi rolled his eyes and face-palmed. *_That's all his answer'll ever be__!_*

"_**What?**_"

"Nothing. I shouldn't have asked that question. I know full well what your answer's always going to be... I asked you what was wrong."

Mario lowered his head.

"Oh..."

"Why were you so surprised?"

"I was thinking..."

Luigi smirked mischievously.

"Oh... _**REEEEAAAALLY**_? What were you thinking about?"

"Are you really going to start that again?"

"_**Maybe**_."

"Luigi, _**please**_! I'm r-really not in the mood."

"Yeah, you seem to be in the 'I'll keep secrets from my brother' mood."

Mario gasped, offended that Luigi had the nerve to say something like that. Then again, it was obvious that Luigi was irritated. After all, they were twins, and _**THESE**_ twins have always stuck together. They never hide anything... right?

"Please. Tell me what you're thinking about."

"I-"

"Mario... Come on... Please...?" Mario sighed quietly and lay down in his bed, still clothed, including the shoes and cap. He yawned, exhausted.

"How about I tell you tomorrow...?"

"I know you're hoping that I'll forget."

"Eh... nothing's too small to have faith in..."

"Are you actually going to sleep?"

"Maybe... If you'll let me off the hook..."

"Fine... But only until noon tomorrow."

"Works for me..." Mario closed his eyes and immediately fell into a troubled sleep, snoring softly. Soon after, Luigi passed into the realm of dreams, content with seeing his brother finally rest after working so hard.


End file.
